Megeve (France) (AFP)
Slovenian Primoz Roglic, who wore the yellow leader's jersey, gave up pursuing the Critérium du Dauphiné before the start of the fifth and final stage on Sunday morning in Megève, we officially learned.
Roglic crashed on Saturday and was able to finish the fourth stage without wasting time on his opponents. But he was shot in several places on the body and was seen limping to get on the podium.
"The evolution of his injuries will determine the plans for the races to come," commented his team Jumbo, whose other headliner, Dutchman Steven Kruijswijk, retired on Saturday in a crash.
In 24 hours, the Dauphiné lost the two main favorites of the next Tour de France, which will start on August 29 from Nice. The Colombian Egan Bernal, winner of the 2019 Tour, threw in the towel as a precaution before the start of the 4th stage in Ugine. His team claimed back pain but ensured their "100%" participation in the Big Loop.
Roglic, for his part, has shown himself imperial so far both in the recent Tour de l'Ain and in the Dauphiné. Before the fall which changes the situation for the Jumbo team, in a strong position until Friday in the perspective of the Tour but now facing several concerns for its leaders.
At the start of the 153.5 kilometers of the last stage of the Dauphiné, Frenchman Thibaut Pinot finds himself at the top of the general classification with 10 seconds ahead of another Frenchman, Guillaume Martin, and 12 seconds over Spaniard Mikel Landa and the Colombian Daniel Martinez.
The last French victory in the Critérium du Dauphiné, a WorldTour stage race which serves as a mountain hors d'oeuvre before the Tour, dates back to 2007 and to the success of Christophe Moreau.
© 2020 AFP